3.3. Linux Tools to Repartition a Hard Disk

3.3.1. GNU parted

GNU parted
allows you to create, destroy, resize and copy partitions. It
currently supports ext2 and fat (fat16 and fat32) filesystems,
Linux swap partitions, and MS-DOS disklabels, as well as Macintosh and PC98.
For NTFS file systems see
ntfsresize
.

3.3.2. ext2resize

ext2resize
is a program capable of resizing (shrinking and growing) ext2 and ext3 filesystems.
Checks whether the new size the user gave is feasible
(i.e. whether the filesystem isn't too occupied to shrink it),
connected to the parted project.

3.3.3. fixdisktable

Something was recently published on the
<linux-kernel_at_vger.rutgers.edu> mailing list about a partition
recovery program. I have neither used , nor examined, nor read much
about it (except for the HTML page.) It may be useful to some of you if
you have problems with FIPS
, Ranish Partition Manager/Utility or Partition Magic destroying your
partition information. You can find information on this
partition-fixer named "fixdisktable" at
his pages.
It is quite a ways down in that page. Or look for it
via ftp
and locate the latest "fixdisktable" in that
FTP directory. (Source and binary dist should be available.)

3.3.4. Caveats

Before repartitioning your hard disk take care about the disk layout.
Especially look for hidden disk space or certain partitions used for
suspend to disk or hibernation
mode. Some laptops come with a partition which contains some
BIOS programs (e.g. COMPAQ Armada 1592DT). Search the
manual carefully for tools like PHDISK.EXE, Suspend
to Disk, Diagnostic TOOLS.

Patrick D. Ashmore
has recently released a Linux utility to prepare hibernation
partitions for use with laptops and notebooks using Phoenix
NoteBIOS. "This utility isn't needed to utilize the
APM "Suspend-To-Disk" feature ... if you
already have a valid hibernation partition, you should be able to
use it from any operating system that can handle
APM suspends.

However, if one ever upgrades hard drive, memory, or repartitions their
hard drive, they discover that they either have to do without the
suspend-to-disk feature or boot to DOS and use the
PHDISK.EXE program provided with their laptop or
directly from Phoenix Technologies.

Now, Linux users are free from this restriction.
lphdisk is a Linux utility that properly prepares
these partitions for use. Not only does this eliminate having to boot to
DOS, but my utility does not exhibit some of the nastier bugs that its
DOS counterpart has."

Please see chapter DOS Tools to Repartition a Hard Disk, too.

3.3.5. Multi Boot

Please see the chapter
chapter Chapter 15 Different Environments, for
information about booting different operating systems from
the same harddisk.